RETURN TO INDIA - 851

      RETURN TO INDIA FROM CANADA 

It is now almost close to a year that we are away from India . We had booked our return Tickets on the 12 th of  May by The Etihad Airways Flight EY 22 from Toronto to Abu Dhabi and the Flight EY 364 from Abu Dhabhi to Chennai . This was much before the skirmishes in the Gulf Region had started to make Headlines . 

The reason for Choosing Etihad Airways as our Travel Partner was pretty obvious . Besides being cheaper , their  travel time was also less . Barring the Transit Halt at Abu Dhabhi for 4 Hours , the entire trip was of  less than 24 hours duration  . The all important TWO check in baggages for each of us was a definite advantage. Most Airlines restrict the same to one per head .

The Gulf Crisis and Iran War commenced on the 28 th of Feb and started escalating by the day . Drone and Warheads damaging Oil and other Financial Institutions in the UAE  were sporadic. Dubai Airport took a few hits and Emirates Airlines had to reschedule many of their flights to and from Dubai .

Fortunately for us ,  barring a few Flight Cancellations and delayed departures ,  Flights on the Etihad Airways from Toronto to Abu Dhabhi sector was near normal . 

I was left checking the flight status of EY 22  every single day from mid March onwards for any cancellation or delay .

All went well and our flight took off on Schedule on the 12 th at 1.40 PM Toronto time and we reached Chennai at 8.00 PM on the 13 th . 

THE MONITOR SHOWING OUR FLIGHT PATH AS THE HUGE WIDE BODIED BOEING A 380 WITH A SEATING CAPACITY OF CLOSE TO 400  TRAVERSED THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND THE CAPTAIN MENTIONING THE SAME DID ADD FEAR AND THRILL IN EQUAL MEASURE .

We caught the Nellai Express on the 14 and are home now . The travel though long had nothing serious that we could complain about except for the severe Jet Lag . I have started penning this write up  at 2.00 AM in the morning .

GOD IS GREAT . WE WERE NOT LEFT STRANDED IN A STRANGE COUNTRY WITH THE WAR MACHINERY DESTROYING EACH OTHER . WE AFTERALL HAD NO ROLE IN THEIR SCHEME OF THINGS FOR OIL OR OTHERWISE .